MODULE UNDERSTANDING THE SELF

CHAPTER 10: MANAGING STRESS

Objectives:
a.) Explain the effects of stress to one’s health.
b.) Examine cultural dimension of stress and coping.
c.) Design a self-care plan.

Stress is your body’s way of responding to

any kind of demand or threat. When you sense
danger—whether it’s real or imagined—the body’s
defenses kick into high gear in a rapid, automatic
process known as the ―fight-or-flight‖ reaction or
the ―stress response.‖
The stress response is the body’s way of
protecting you. When working properly, it helps
you stay focused, energetic, and alert. In
emergency situations, stress can save your life—
giving you extra strength to defend yourself, for
example, or spurring you to slam on the brakes to avoid a car accident.
Stress can also help you rise to meet challenges. It’s what keeps you on your
toes during a presentation at work, sharpens your concentration when you’re attempting
the game-winning free throw, or drives you to study for an exam when you’d rather be
watching TV. But beyond a certain point, stress stops being helpful and starts causing
major damage to your health, mood, productivity, relationships, and your quality of life.

3 TYPES OF STRESS
EUSTRESS (+)
-Good stress
- Any stressor that motivates an individual toward an optional level of performance or
health.

NEUSTRESS
-Any kind of information of sensory stimulus that is perceived as unimportant or
inconsequential
-Neither positive nor negative.

DISTRESS (-)
-Unfavorable or negative interpretation of an event. (real or imagined) promotes feeling
of fear nor anger.

COGNITIVE APPRAISAL- type of stress response; process of perceiving and

interpreting a stimulus ( thing, change, event, people ). (Passer & Smith, 2007)

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2 TYPES OF COGNITIVE APPRAISAL

(1) PRIMARY APPRAISAL- initial evolution of a stimulus and categorizing is either

positive, negative, or neutral (Weiten,2014)
(2) SECONDARY APPRAISAL- evaluation of our ―perceived ability to cope with the
situation, that is, the resources you have to deal with it‖ (Passer & Smith, 2007)

STRESSOR

―Any real or imagined situation, circumstances, or stimulus that is perceived to be a

threat‖

―List of Stressors is not only endless, but also varies from person to person‖ (Seaward,
2018)

Three general types of stressors:

1. CATACLYSMIC EVENTS
• Strong stressors
• Occur suddenly
• May affect many people simultaneously
• Disaster such as tornadoes, plane
crashes
• Natural or man-made calamity

2. PERSONAL STRESSORS
• Major life events
• Death of a parent or spouse, loss of one’s job, major personal failure
• Even something positive like getting married

3. BACKGROUND STRESSORS
• Daily hassles
• Minor irritations in life
• Standing in a long line in a bank
• Getting stuck in traffic jam
• Long term chronic problem- dissatisfaction with school or a job, unhappy
relationship.

STRESS AND FILIPINOS : THE SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DIMENSIONS OF STRESS

By now, we already have an understanding that what we consider stressful is subjective

and dependent on our perspective – which is highly influenced by our social and cultural
experience (Weiten, 2014).

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As Tan (2006) puts it:

―Not enough being done to understand stress in its local context, yet stress is mediated
through culture: from the very nature of the stressors, to the ways we respond to the
stress‖

Simple communication in our everyday lives may lead to stress when we give and get a
response such as ―Okay lang.‖ We hear or maybe are guilty of conversations like: ―Do
you want to have some?‖ ―Okay lang.‖ The indirect answer hoping to be interpreted as
how the speaker want it to be may pose possible conflicts.

TAKING CARE OF SELF

7 PILLARS OF SELF-CARE

1. Health Literacy
2. Self-Awareness of Physical and Mental Condition
3. Physical Activity
4. Healthy Eating
5. Risk Avoidance or Mitigation
6. Good Hygiene
7. Rational and Responsible Use of Products,
Services, Diagnostics and Medicines

“CARING [ for others and self ] CREATES RESILIENCE”

--Kelly McGonigal

Improving your Ability to Handle Stress

Get moving. Upping your activity level is one tactic you can employ right now to help
relieve stress and start to feel better. Regular exercise can lift your mood and serve as a
distraction from worries, allowing you to break out of the cycle of negative thoughts that
feed stress. Rhythmic exercises such as walking, running, swimming, and dancing are
particularly effective, especially if you exercise mindfully (focusing your attention on the
physical sensations you experience as you move).

Connect to others. The simple act of talking face-to-face with another human can
trigger hormones that relieve stress when you’re feeling agitated or insecure. Even just
a brief exchange of kind words or a friendly look from another human being can help
calm and soothe your nervous system. So, spend time with people who improve your
mood and don’t let your responsibilities keep you from having a social life. If you don’t
have any close relationships, or your relationships are the source of your stress, make it
a priority to build stronger and more satisfying connections.

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Engage your senses. Another fast way to relieve stress is by engaging one or more of
your senses—sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, or movement. The key is to find the
sensory input that works for you. Does listening to an uplifting song make you feel
calm? Or smelling ground coffee? Or maybe petting an animal works quickly to make
you feel centered? Everyone responds to sensory input a little differently, so experiment
to find what works best for you.

Learn to relax. You can’t completely eliminate stress from your life, but you can control
how much it affects you. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation, and deep
breathing activate the body’s relaxation response, a state of restfulness that is the polar
opposite of the stress response. When practiced regularly, these activities can reduce
your everyday stress levels and boost feelings of joy and serenity. They also increase
your ability to stay calm and collected under pressure.

Eat a healthy diet. The food you eat can improve or worsen your mood and affect your
ability to cope with life’s stressors. Eating a diet full of processed and convenience food,
refined carbohydrates, and sugary snacks can worsen symptoms of stress, while a diet
rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, high-quality protein, and omega-3 fatty acids, can help
you better cope with life’s ups and downs.

Get your rest. Feeling tired can increase stress by causing you to think irrationally. At
the same time, chronic stress can disrupt your sleep. Whether you’re having trouble
falling asleep or staying asleep at night, there are plenty of ways to improve your
sleep so you feel less stressed and more productive and emotionally balanced.

To know more about Stress, please click the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnpQrMqDoqE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuyPuH9ojCE

Alata, Castillo, et. al, Understanding The Self. Rex Book Store: 2018
https://www.helpguide.org/articles/stress/stress-symptoms-signs-and-
causes.htm

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